At our 2026 Annual Conference in Minneapolis, MN we hosted an award ceremony that celebrated the distinguished individuals, groups, and organizations who have exemplified exceptional service, remarkable achievements, and outstanding leadership in saving lives through blood donation. This year's awardees were recognized for their invaluable contributions to the field, showcasing the best of our industry's dedication and innovation.
Individual Awards
Franzmeier Lifetime Achievement Award:
Dr. Merlyn Sayers, President and CEO,
Carter Bloodcare
Since its establishment in 1991, the prestigious Franzmeier Lifetime Achievement Award has been synonymous with honoring outstanding individuals who have made a lasting impact on ADRP and the broader blood community. Named in honor of the late Vice President of The Blood Center of Southeastern Wisconsin, Ron Franzmeier, this esteemed award celebrates individuals who have exemplified dedication, innovation, and leadership throughout their careers.
Dr. Merlyn Sayers, Carter Bloodcare, was honored for his 40 years of experience in transfusion medicine. Under his stewardship as President and CEO of Carter Bloodcare the organization was able establish 27 donor centers, conduct 25 – 30 mobile blood drives every day across its large service area, and distribute more than 450,000 blood products each year.
Ronald O. Gilcher, MD Award:
Audra Taylor, Senior Vice President, BioBridge Global & Chief Operating Officer for South Texas Blood & Tissue Blood Center
Established in 2004, the Ronald O. Gilcher, MD Award pays tribute to the incredible legacy of the former President, CEO, and Chief Medical Officer of the Oklahoma Blood Institute. This award serves as recognition of individuals who have demonstrated exceptional dedication and leadership in the field of blood donation and medical science.
Audra Taylor, Chief Operating Officer of South Texas Blood & Tissue, has shown exemplary leadership skills both during her time in the military and the civilian workforce. Her selfless service to our country speaks volumes to the leadership character she holds. Her first position with the U.S. Army was as a blood platoon leader at Camp Carroll in Waegwan, South Korea. In a 28-year career in the military, she held multiple positions in the field that led her to her final role: Division chief for the Armed Services Blood Program (ASBP) at the Defense Health Agency. She served as the top executive for the Department of Defense blood program, including multiple collection centers, transfusion service activities, and theater blood support. Under her leadership, the military blood program successfully fulfilled the Secretary of Defense directive to collect and store 10,000 units of COVID-19 Convalescent Plasma (CPP) within four months, updated Department of Defense Instruction for the ASBP, implemented new information management systems and enhanced strategic communications and marketing.
Her current role as Chief Operating Officer of South Texas Blood & Tissue continues her legacy of service in the transfusion medicine industry. South Texas Blood & Tissue, a subsidiary of San Antonio-based nonprofit BioBridge Global, is the region’s largest supplier of blood products. She oversees a program that collects more than 120,000 blood donations a year, providing lifesaving blood products to more than 100 hospitals across 49 counties. She is committed to innovation and improving the blood product tools in the toolbox!
Donor Experience Professional of the Year Award:
Elizabeth Gryder, Account Manager III, LifeShare Blood Center
The Donor Experience Professional of the Year Award is designed to honor outstanding team members in the collections, recruitment, marketing, communication, or operations sectors. This award celebrates individuals who make a profound impact through their dedication and commitment to serving our industry and its donors.
Elizabeth Gryder, Account Manager III, LifeShare Blood Center, received this award for building and sustaining partnerships that make blood drives possible. Elizabeth secures and maintains her accounts with exceptional care and leads every interaction with heart, professionalism, and authenticity. Her approach to customer services strengthens retention, deepens partnerships, and enhances the overall donor experience at LifeShare.
Rolf Kovenetsky Leader of the Year Award: Victoria Cook, Donor Recruitment Supervisor
Donor Recruitment Supervisor
The Rolf Kovenetsky Leader of the Year Award was instituted to honor exceptional individuals who have demonstrated exceptional leadership skills in the fields of recruitment, collections, marketing/communications, or operations. This award is specifically designed to recognize supervisors, managers, and directors who have made a significant impact in their respective disciplines. Successful nominee exhibits development and celebration of team members, encourages strategic thinking, possesses problem solving skills and prioritizes passion for their work.
Victoria Cook, Donor Recruitment Supervisor Donor Recruitment Supervisor, achieved collections goals 12 out of 12 months in 2025, a remarkable accomplishment that demonstrates both strategic oversight and strong team engagement. Victoria develops her team members, celebrates successes, and leads by example with authenticity and passion.
ADRP Volunteer of the Year Award:
Yadira Navarro, Director, Community and Stakeholder Relations, NYBCe
The ADRP Volunteer of the Year Award is presented to an extraordinary individual who has consistently showcased exceptional dedication and invaluable contributions to ADRP, fostering the growth and advancement of the association and its members.
Yadira Navarro, Director, Community and Stakeholder Relations, NYBCe, commitment to our association goes far beyond participation — it is a true act of service. Through her work at NYBCe and her volunteer engagement with ADRP, she has been a powerful force in helping our organization grow, connect, and reach beyond borders.
Yadira generously shared her linguistic skills by translating solicitation and informational materials, opening the door for a broader international community. Thanks to her efforts, blood banks in developing regions of the world were able to better understand our mission, engage with our work, and ultimately become members of ADRP. Her contributions have strengthened our global reach and reinforced the inclusive spirit at the heart of our association.
During our international symposiums, Yadira also played a vital role in facilitating the question-and-answer sessions. With exceptional preparation and a masterful touch, she curated thoughtful questions for each presenter, encouraged discussion, and helped elevate the experience for our global audience. Her ability to engage speakers and participants alike brought depth, clarity, and momentum to every exchange.
Organization Awards
Media Partner Award:
Jon Curl, a Radio DJ for iHeart Radio in Cincinnati Ohio,
Nominated by Hoxworth Blood Center
Since its establishment in 2003, the Media Partner Award has sought to recognize the importance of media representatives in creating awareness about the pressing and constant demand for regular blood donations. Their contributions help educate and engage the community about the critical importance of donors of all blood types. Nominees must demonstrate consistent support throughout the year and sponsor an annual or bi-annual event on a large scale with blood drives or other donation events.
Jon Curl, a Radio DJ for iHeart Radio and KISS 107.1 in Cincinnati Ohio hosts a regular segment on his radio show JonJon & Friends called Wellness Wednesdays where he elevates lifesaving health conversations. Once a month, he dedicates space for Hoxworth Blood Center to invite their blood donors and recipients to share their personal stories. Jon's commitment extends beyond this regular segment. He has also coined the phrase "Hoxworth Habit" encouraging donors to give blood twice a year; a message that has stuck because of Jon's credibility, consistency, and reach.
Blood Drive Partner of the Year Award:
Jessica McKearney and the Hudson Strong Foundation, Nominated by ImpactLife
The Blood Drive Partner of the Award recognizes outstanding individuals and organizations that go above and beyond to prioritize and promote blood donation within their respective communities. Whether it's an organization, business, or community members, the recipients of this award are trailblazers in creating awareness, organizing successful campaigns, and inspiring others to join the life-saving mission of donating blood.
Jessica McKearney is a nurse practitioner, nonprofit leader, and passionate blood donation advocate who understands firsthand the lifesaving impact of transfusions for pediatric cancer patients. After her son’s diagnosis and treatment for B-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, Jessica has transformed her experience into action — becoming one of ImpactLife’s most dedicated community advocates, blood drive sponsors, and even establishing a foundation with her husband, Kyle, to support families navigating childhood cancer.
Since 2020, Jessica has served as a volunteer Blood Drive Coordinator for 16 drives, inspiring more than 2,000 donations. She is also a compelling and tireless ambassador, regularly speaking at community events, in classrooms, and with news media to champion blood donation and support for pediatric cancer research.
School Partner of the Year Award:
Kathleen Valerio from Stony Brook University, Nominated by NYBCe
The School Partner of the Year Award recognizes the outstanding dedication of a high school or college in promoting and prioritizing blood donation within its student body and local community. This award celebrates the exceptional commitment demonstrated by the recipient in fostering a culture of altruistic blood donation.
Since 2000, Stony Brook University under the leadership of Kathleen (Kate) Valerio, has facilitated nearly 35,000 blood donations, a remarkable milestone reflecting decades of institutional dedication. Each academic year, the university hosts six full-day blood drives—three in fall and three in spring—each running nine hours to maximize student accessibility and participation. This intentional scheduling underscores their commitment to removing barriers and prioritizing donor convenience.
In addition, Stony Brook continues to expand its annual September 11th Memorial Blood Drive, held each year to honor those lost on 9/11. This drive has evolved into a powerful community event, engaging student clubs, community partners, and three local fire departments that attend to recruit volunteer firefighters and reinforce the connection between civic service and lifesaving blood donation.
ADRP President’s Award for Service:
Iryna Slavinska, CEO and Founder of Donor UA from Ukraine
The ADRP President's Award for Service is a recognition given to an individual who has demonstrated exceptional dedication and service to ADRP, blood donors, recipients, or the blood community as a whole. This recipient is personally selected by the ADRP President, highlighting its significance within the organization.
Iryna Slavinska is a Ukrainian civic leader, social entrepreneur, and nationally recognized reformer of the blood donation system. She is the founder and leader of DonorUA — the largest blood donation platform in Ukraine and a key operational partner of the Ministry of Health in ensuring safe, continuous blood supply.
Since 2014, Iryna has been building a culture of voluntary, non-remunerated blood donation in Ukraine, focusing on donor recruitment, system transparency, and digital transformation. Following the outbreak of full-scale war in 2022, Iryna became one of the central figures sustaining Ukraine’s blood system. DonorUA coordinated emergency blood drives, enabled rapid donor mobilization, supported frontline transfusions, and helped adapt regulations to allow life-saving pre-hospital transfusions by trained combat medics.
ADRP President’s Award for Service:
Carla Peterson, Executive Director of ADRP
The ADRP President's Award for Service is a recognition given to an individual who has demonstrated exceptional dedication and service to ADRP, blood donors, recipients, or the blood community as a whole. This recipient is personally selected by the ADRP President, highlighting its significance within the organization.
Carla Peterson began her career in blood banking in 1986, marking this year an extraordinary 40 years of service to the blood donation community. Throughout these four decades, her engagement with ADRP has been steadfast and exemplary. She has served our association in many capacities; as a committee member, a board member, President in 2015 and 2016 and since 2019, as our Executive Director, a role in which her impact has been both transformative and enduring.
Looking to Make a Nomination for an ADRP Award?
Every year, we invite nominations in anticipation of our Annual Conference. The submission window for the 2026 awards has not yet opened, please keep an eye on our website for updates about the process.